Review by Bonnie Cehovet
“Tarot of the Dream Enchantress” is all about dreamtime – that bridge between our conscious and unconscious/subconscious selves. Moore notes that Tarot and dreamtime are well connected, as they both work from a foundation of symbols and images. This visual language helps us to move beyond our rational defenses and access our true feelings. She also notes that we dream not only at night, but during the day also. According to Moore, our dreams carry a power all of their own. Combined with the images from this deck, where the Dream Enchantress has woven mystical messages into each card, we can reach new levels of understanding.
This is a traditional 78 card deck. The Major Arcana carry traditional titles, with the exception of the Wheel of Fortune, which becomes the Wheel. Justice is VIII, Strength is XI. The four suits are Wands, Chalices, Swords, and Pentacles. The Court Cards are entitled Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.
The accompanying LWB (Little White Book) follows the Lo Scarabeo tradition of being in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. The cards are listed with short explanations of the energy that they carry, but no scans. From the book:
0, The Fool: Are you on a journey to discover the world or discover yourself? What is the difference, really? Don a mask, experience the world as someone else, and discover a new part of yourself.
Queen of Pentacles: Even when surrounded by luxuriousness, in the end, all that really matters is what you see when you look at yourself.
Ace of Chalices: A spot in your heart that was once empty is now filled. When viewed through overflowing joy, nothing ever looks the same.
Nine of Swords: Nightmares torturing sleep are usually considered a bad thing, But for some, the pain of remembering is more comforting than the ache of forgetting.
The cards themselves are approximately 2 5/8” by 4 ¾”, on good quality card stock. The backs show a ¼ white border, surrounding a green and gold, reversible design. The faces show the same white border, with the card inset showing a ½” black border at the top and bottom of the card. The numbered cards show the suit in gold in the middle of the top border, and the number in white in the middle of the bottom border. The Court Cards show the suit symbol in the middle of the top border, and the symbol for the card title in the middle of the bottom border. The Major Arcana show the card number, in white Roman numerals, in the middle of the top and bottom borders.
The art style is fantasy, using muted coloring. If there is one thing that I would like to have seen done with this deck, it would be to have an explanation of the background of the images and art on the cards.
I found this deck to be very easy to work with, and many of the cards to be outstanding. Some of my favorite cards were the Ace of Swords, which shows a fairy-like figure holding her hand out towards the clouds, palm up, with an upright sword hovering over it; the Queen of Wands, which shows a female figure, dressed in green, seated in a tree, with a wand in her right hand; the Eight of Pentacles, showing an artisan at work; and the Eight of Cups, which shows a female figure with wings kneeling at the edge of a pond, looking at her reflection in the water. I loved the imagery, with repeated figures with wings, and images within images.
This is not a beginners deck, as the imagery, while beautiful, is not traditional. There is also a certain extent of nudity (although very well presented). Those who are interested in art decks, in collecting decks, or in the dreamlike quality of the artwork, will appreciate this deck.
Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.
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